Tray supports and columns containing same



Oct. 13, 1959 c. A. LUDEKE ETAL TRAY SUPPORTS AND COLUMNS CONTAININGSAME Filed Sept. 9, 1955 CARL A.LUDEKE LIONEL A. PETROV INVENTOR.

a 2,908,489 TRAY SUPPORTS ANlgCOLUMNS CONTAINING AME Carl A. Ludeke andLionel A. Petrov, Cincinnati, Ohio,

. assignors to National Distillers and Chemical Corporation, New York,N.Y., a corporation of Virginia Application September 9, 1955 Serial No.533,469 I l 6 Claims. or. 261-113) trays are horizontally disposed andsupported by suitable means at the interior wall surface of the column.For columns of relatively. large diameter, and in which the horizontallydisposed trays are, also of relatively large diameter, the trays areadditionally supported by use of vertically disposed supports that alsoserve as spacer bars to maintain the spaced-apart relationship of thetrays and to prevent or minimize deformation (e. g., sagging) of thetrays. For example, and by use of a distillation tower for illustration,such towers may comprise a serie's of spaced-apart horizontally.disposed trays in a column shell with the trays having a number of holesdistributed over the trays and, in operation, the pressure and velocityof vapor passing up through the holes is maintained sufficient to holdup a body of liquidreflux on each tray and, to prevent too great a depthfrom accumulating, each tray is provided with conventional devices forflow of liquid to a lower tray and maintenance of a liquid seal againstflow of vapor. For several reasons, itis desirable that the trays belight in weight and as thinas possible commensurate with structuralstrength suilicient for the trays to resist deformation during operationof the column for extended continuous periods of time and, hence, tominimize such deformation (e.g., sagging), verticallydisposed supportsare employed to support the trays. As an example, such vertical supportsmay be in the form ofa Fatented Oct. 13, 1959 2 adequately supportingthe tray, failure of the tray .as aforedescribed at the supportedportions is obviated or substantially minimized.

In general, an assembly as embodied herein comprises a tray in plateform adapted for horizontal disposition in a column useful foroperations such as distillation, rectification, and the like, said trayhaving an opening to accommodate a support means, including resilientmeans,

whereby the tray is adequately supported and failure of [the tray at thearea of the support is obviated or substantially minimized. Morespecifically, an assembly as embodied herein comprises a verticallyelongated member having a longitudinal annular recessed portionextending through an opening in a plate tray, and resilient meansdisposed in said recess portion in a manner whereby vibration of thetray is absorbed by the re- '-silient means with minimized failure ofthe tray at its supported portion or portions. In still more specificembodiment, the tray is supported by resilient means of spring-liketype, disposed on each side of the tray, accommodatedby the shouldersformed by an annular re-- cess portion of a vertical support memberextending through an opening in the tray whereby the tray is adequatelysupported and failure of the tray at the areas of. its supportedportions is substantially minimized.

In order to illustrate the invention, but without intent of limitation,reference is made to the accompanyingdrawings wherein there isillustrated a specific embodiment of an assembly as embodied herein. Inthe drawings, Fig. I shows, partly diagrammatic and partly in }section,a tray in assembly with support means as embodied herein, Figure II is aplan view of the assembly of Figure I, and Figure III is an elevation ofthe resilient means in the form of a spring spider as shown in theassembly of Figure I. p In the drawings, a portion of a tray 1 (e.g.,copper, stainless steel, etc.) is shown as having an opening 2 throughwhich extends an annular recessed portion 3.3q of a support member 4,the recessed portion being or such dimension that the top surface of thetray does not bear on shoulder 5 and the bottom surface of the tray doesnot bear on shoulder 6. To provide the proper spacing between the trayand the shoulders in the re. cessed portion, support member 4 is shownin theforni of a hexagonal'member, the bottom of which is rigidlysupported (not shown) at a bottom portion of thecolumn in which theassembly is disposed, and having a co.-

vertically elongated member having a coaxial. portion of reducedcross-section that accommodates an opening in a tray with the peripheralportion ofgthe opening onthei bottom of the tray resting on thelowermost shoulder; of-

the recess and the uppermost shoulder of; the; recess being in abutmentwith thegperipheral portion of the opening on the top of the traywhereby the tray islrigidly supported in the recess. By use, of suchrigid supportsfor horizontally disposed trays, and particularlyinstanceswherein the trays undergovibration during operation of the column,difficulties may be encountered in the form of. tray failures resultingfrom cracking of theitrays, particularly in .the area of the openingsprovidingthe rigid;

support for the tray with the vertically disposed suppor't means. Suchtray failures are obviously undesirable as they decrease efliciencyofthev operation and necessitate costly and time consuming shutdowns. Aprimary object of this invention is the provision of an assemblycomprising a tray, adapted for -horizontal disposition in a column foroperations as aforedefined, with improved means for-supportof the tray"whereby; in additionto axial portion 3a of reduced cross-section, so asto formshoulder 6. Support member 4 is shown as also having a coaxialportion 30, which is of smaller cross-section than coaxial portion 3a,and which is externally threaded whereby it is adapted to be screwthreaded into 'internal-, ly threaded bore 7 of support member portion4a. shown, support member {la has acoaxial portion8 of "reducedcross-section 'to provide shoulder 5.'. A,.rsi lientj means,illustratedby spring spider 9',(e.g,,-iberyllimft copper alloy) havingan opening 10.is disposedin the 1 iphera1 portion of the opening' in thespring spider is manner shown wherebythe peripherallportion"of 'the.

opening is accommodated by recess portion 3-1-3kz of support member 4 ina manner whereby it abuts shoulder: 5. and the legs 9a of the springspider rest on thejupper surface .of tray 1 at a portion thereof awayfrom the opening in tray l that'accommodates the recess portion, 3 of,support member 4. Asis also showinI-ariother resilient means, andpreferably a spring spider such as aforedescribed, is disposedin amanner whereby the peaccommodated by the recess portio'n'3a of supportmenibet 4 to abut shoulder 6, and for bottom portionslfof tray 1 to reston the legs of the spring spider atpoints away from "the opening in thetray that accommodates the recess 'porti'on 3a"of supportmemb'er'4f Theassembly shown and aforedescribed may be assembled in a verticallyelongated column in the following manner. With the bottom portion ofsupport mem ber 44a vertically disposed and rigidly supported in thecolumn, the spring spider is inserted in a manner whereby it rests onshoulder 6 and with the 'legs of the spider being upwardly disposed.Tray 1 is then placed in position so that recess portion 3a of member 4extends through opening 2 in th tray and the tray rests on the legs ofthe spring spider resting on shoulder 6. Upper portion 4a of member 4,with spring spider 9 inserted so that recess portion 3 extends throughthe opening in the spring spider, is then screwed into externallythreaded portion 30 of member 4 to the extent that legs 9a of the springspider contact upper surface portions of sieve tray 1, and shoulder 5abuts the peripheral portion of the opening in spring spider 9 throughwhich recess portion 3 extends. Though not shown, tray 1, whenhorizontally disposed in a column, is supported by suitable means (notshown) at its periphery to the inner wall of the vessel.

By use of an assembly as aforedescribed and embodied herein wherein theopening in the tray to be accommodated by the vertically disposedsupport member is supported by resilient means, it has been found that,as compared with rigid support of the trays at such openings, failure ofthe trays at the areas of such openings, and particularly failures dueto cracking induced by vibration, are obviated or materially reduced,thereby resulting in a marked reduction in frequency of shutdown ofoperations such as distillation, rectification, and'the like forreplacement or reconditioning of trays.

Although, in the foregoing description of the invention it has beenillustrated with respect to a tray supported by a single assemblage asembodied herein, it should be obvious to those skilled in the art that aplurality of such assemblages may be used to support a tray at aplurality of points and, particularly, a plurality of such assemblagesis utilized for trays of relatively large diameter. Moreover, and asshould also be obvious to those skilled in the art, a series ofhorizontally disposed trays in a column may be supported by a verticalmember, such as illustrated by member 4 in the drawings, composed of aplurality of coaxial portions in which the recessed portions 33a areproperly spaced apart so as to maintain the desired horizontallyspaced-apart relationship of the trays.

While there are above disclosed but a limited number of embodiments ofthe invention herein presented, it is possible to produce still otherembodiments without departing from the inventive concept hereindisclosed, and it is desired therefore that only such limitations beimposed on the appended claimsas are stated therein.

What is claimed is:

1. In a vertically disposed column adapted for carrying out operationssuch as distillations and rectifications, a tray horizontally disposedin the interior of said colportion of reduced cross section extendingthrough said opening in said tray, a spring-like member bearing on theupper shoulder and an upper surface portion of said tray and aspring-like member bearing on the lower shoulder and a bottom portion ofsaid tray whereby, during operation of said column, said spring-likemembers serve to absorb vibration of the tray.

- 3. In an elongated, vertically disposed column adapted for carryingout operations such as distillations and rectifications, a trayhorizontally disposed in the interior of said column and having avertical opening, a rigidly supported vertically disposed member havinga portion of reduced cross section thereby forming a recessed portionhaving an upper shoulder and a lower shoulder, said portion of reducedcross section extending through said opening in said tray, a firstspring spider having a central opening the peripheral portion of whichcentral opening bears upon the upper of said shoulders and the legs ofwhich first spring spider bear on portions of the upper surface of saidtray and a second spring spider having a central opening the peripheralportion of which central opening bears on the lower shoulder and thelegs of which second spring spider bear upon portions of the lowersurface of said tray.

4. An assembly, adapted to absorb vibrations of a tray horizontallydisposed in a vertically disposed column, which comprises a tray havingan opening, a rigidly supported member having a coaxial portion ofreduced cross section extending through said opening in said traywhereby said opening is disposed in-between a pair of spaced apartshoulders provided by said portion of reduced cross section, a resilientmember bearing on one of said shoulders and a surface portion of saidtray, and a resilient member bearing on the other of said shoulders andon a surface portion of said tray whereby said resilient members serveto absorb vibration of said tray.

5. An assembly, adapted to absorb vibrations of a plurality ofspaced-apart perforated trays horizontally disposed in a verticallydisposed column, which comprises horizontally disposed trays each havinga vertical opening, a rigidly supported member having coaxial portionsof reduced cross section one of said portions extending through saidopening in each of said trays whereby said opening is disposedin-between a pair of spaced apart umn, said tray having a verticalopening removed from the periphery thereof, a rigidly supportedvertically dis posed member having a. longitudinal portion of reducedcrosssection thereby forming a recessed portion having an upper shoulderand a lower shoulder, said portion of reduced'cr'oss section extendingthrough said opening in said tray, a resilient member bearing on theupper shoulder and an upper surface portion of said tray'and a resilientmember bearing on the lower shoulder and a bottom surfacepor-tion ofsaid tray. 1

2. In an elongated, vertically disposed column adapted for carrying outoperations such as distillations and rectifications, a tray horizontallydisposed in the interior of said column, said tray having a verticalopening removed from the periphery thereof, a rigidly"suppor'ted'vertically disposed member having a longitudinal portion of reducedcross section thereby forming a recessed portion having an uppershoulder and a lower shoulder, said shoulders provided by each of saidportions of reduced cross section, a spring-like member bearing on theupper shoulder and on an upper surface portion of each of said trays anda spring-like member bearing on the lower shoulder and on a bottomsurface portion of each of said trays whereby said spring-like membersserves to absorb vibrations of said trays.

6. An assembly, adapted to absorb vibrations of a tray horizontallydisposed in a vertically disposed column, which comprises a horizontallydisposed tray having a vertical opening removed from its periphery, arigidly supported vertically disposed member having a coaxial portion ofreduced cross section extending through said opening whereby saidopening is disposed in-between a pair of spaced apart shoulders providedby said portion of reduced cross section, a spring spider having acentral opening the peripheral portion of which central opening bearsupon the upper of said shoulder and the legs of said spider bear uponupper surface portions of said tray, and a second spring spider having acentral opening the peripheral portion of which bears upon the lower ofsaid shoulders and the legs of which second spider bear upon portions ofthe lower surface of said tray whereby said spring spiders serve tosupport and absorb vibration of said tray.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNlTED STATES PATENTS

